The Son of Neptune
by DarkeningFyre
Summary: MY version of The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan.
1. Prologue

**PLEASE READ THIS! V V**

**Alright. So I wrote this about six months ago, hoping to upload it. However, after the ACTUAL book came out, I didn't really see a point in finishing it. **

**So this was MY unfinished version of the Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan. All I can say is that I have a very active imagination and I came up with my own perspective of things. The story (especially the beginning) gets REALLY off topic and may seem a bit confusing. Trust me, it gets BETTER! However, I really like my story line and if you enjoy the thought of Percy becoming the main super awesome hero of everything then I suggest you read this. I'm probably going to put this prologue part into my version of The Mark of Athena (which is yet to come) because I'm thinking of continuing my storyline into the next book. I see a sneaky way to fit it all in. :D**

**And yes, this story is in first person P.O.V. for Percy and third person for the others. I think it's better that way anyway.**

**Sorry for the long explanation, now to the story.**

****I don't own any of Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus (wish I did). All credit for that goes to Rick Riordan.**

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><p><strong>The Son of Neptune<strong>

**Prologue**

I woke up, cold and shivering. _Where am I?_ I thought. The last thing I remembered was kissing Annabeth goodnight and going to bed in cabin three. Well one thing was for sure; I wasn't in my cozy little cabin anymore.

I sat up, dazed, and looked at my surroundings. It was pitch-black, but I could still see. It was kind of like the way I could see in the depths of the ocean. I was sitting in a two foot puddle of what I desperately hoped was cherry Kool-Aid, but I knew in my mind it was blood. The ice-cold blood seemed to go on for miles in every direction, much further than I could see. Maybe it went on forever, I wouldn't be surprised.

A skeleton was lying in the blood in front of me. Its bones were bleached white, like it had been there for a couple hundred years, maybe longer. It smelled like death, like rotting flesh. I backed up and stepped on another skeleton. Then, I noticed that they were everywhere, for miles and miles. I wandered around and finally found a spot without any dead guys staring up at me.

It took me a few more seconds to realize that I had absolutely no idea where I was. In my many years of dreadful schooling I had never once heard of a place like this. Pure darkness covering the walls and ceiling – if it had any – endless pools of dark, rusty-smelling blood, rotting skeletons everywhere; this place just wasn't mentioned in your average geography books.

I wandered around the sea of never-ending blood for a long time, searching desperately for a way out of this creepy place. No matter how much I explored, there was a lack of walls or doors anywhere. It seemed like days had passed until, finally, I couldn't walk anymore. My energy seemed to be absent from calling for help and my stomach was growling viciously.

A cold, high-pitched laugh pierced the air, jolting me back to my senses. "Hello, Percy Jackson! It was nice of you to drop in. Now I may finally have my revenge!"

I immediately knew the owner of the voice. I'd heard it before, much more than I wanted to. "Kronos," I said in disgust.

Kronos was an extremely malicious Titan who I had fought just barely a year ago. He had recruited many camp members and had chosen my ex-friend, Luke, to oh-so-honorably become the Titan Lord's body. Then Luke had stabbed himself – therefore stabbing Kronos – and we'd all lived happily ever after.

I wish it ended that way.

Raspy laughter sounded in the air again, piercing through my brain, causing me to flinch. I couldn't see where it was coming from. "Let me show you how much pain you have caused me!"

Immediately, I felt a searing pain in my stomach. I saw the faces of some of my loved ones – Annabeth, Grover, my mom, Rachel, Nico, Tyson – they were pale and their expressions were stricken with grief, as if they were watching me die. The pain hit me again and I didn't even attempt to hold back my strangled scream.

My eyes were wide and I could feel my blood pulsing coldly through my veins. It was the most horrible pain I had ever felt. It felt like I was dying on the inside. I couldn't think about anything but the pain and at that point, I hoped that Kronos would just end my life right there, to put me out of my misery. I pleaded for him to kill me, but of course he didn't. Kronos's laughter rang in the back of my mind, cold and uncaring.

Whether it was from the pain or the lack of air from screaming continuously, I finally passed out.

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><p>When I woke up, I was still trapped in the creepy dark place. Only one thing seemed to have changed. A stunningly beautiful girl, possibly my age, was seated beside me, stroking my hair softly. Plus, I wasn't being tortured by my worst enemy. I guess the place wasn't so bad after all.<p>

The girl's face was perfect. Her face looked like the kind models on makeup commercials had; pale and smooth. Oh, and she had long, silky, _white_ hair. Okay, how could a seventeen-year-old girl have _white_ hair? Then I decided to not take any bets on her age; she was probably much older than she looked. She was wearing a long, shimmering, white dress and no shoes.

What really bothered me about her was the way she was looking at me. She gazed at me with her pale, silvery eyes like I was a dream come true, like I was the best thing that had ever happened to her. She seemed to be muttering something dreamily to herself.

"Who- who are you?" I asked her, hoping I wouldn't sound rude. Instead, my voice sounded like a dying frog that just attempted and failed to sing opera. I quietly cleared my throat.

The girl just stared at me. She seemed to be thinking, like she was deciding whether or not she should tell me her name. It didn't bother me though; I was used to people not giving me the answers I desired.

Finally she spoke, her voice was gentle yet somehow powerful, "My name is Ava, and I am the last child of Kronos and Rhea."

I gawked at her. What? That was impossible. I stunk at Greek families, but I was sure that Kronos and Rhea didn't have a daughter named Ava. And if they did, why didn't the gods say anything about it? Did they even know about her?

What kind of sick joke was this supposed to be?

She seemed to notice my confusion. "Do not worry, my child, I am not like my father. I am not a Titan. I will not hurt you." She looked like she meant it, but it still bewildered me.

"Where am I?" I asked her skeptically. If this wasn't a joke, I sincerely hoped she knew what was going on and could explain it to me.

"You are in Tartarus, young demigod. I am truly sorry to say that most unfortunate demigods have never escaped, but there is a possibility that you can be saved. I hope that you are the one I have been looking for." Ava looked forlorn, the way Chiron looked when we talked about demigods dying, like he had seen centuries more than he would have liked to see. I figured that – being in Tartarus – she had probably seen the same thing.

"However, if you _are_ the one I have been searching for," Ava continued, "your life will become much more challenging. Your appearance will change slightly. You will have better fighting skills, but your bloodlust will sometimes get the better of you. Most likely, you will not like what you become. That is, if you can remember anything after Juno's plan."

Okay, I was getting really freaked out now, "What are you talking about? What the heck is going on?" I tried to stand, but my muscles wouldn't respond to me. I strained to call to the sea, but unfortunately that didn't work either.

Ava stood up gracefully and walked a few feet away through the sea of blood, her long, silver hair flowing behind her. She started mumbling something I didn't catch.

Then, a glowing blue streak of liquid streamed across the red blood. She bent down to scoop it into her hands and she started back toward me.

When she reached me she took her free hand and shut my eyes – like you're supposed to do to dead people. Of course, I couldn't open them.

I felt my shirt being ripped open, revealing my bare chest. A tickling sensation started on my stomach, as if someone was writing on me with a magic marker. I heard a quiet _drip, drip, drip,_ a muffled gasp, and a _splash_. Behind my eyelids I saw a bright, golden light.

Suddenly, my eyes flew open and I could move. I struggled to my feet clumsily. I was surrounded by the golden light, no more darkness. Ava was standing a few feet in front of me, her eyes wide with shock, a slight smile on her full lips. She quickly walked toward me and placed a hand on my cheek.

"Good luck, my hero," she said before gently kissing my forehead as if she were giving me a blessing. There was a flash of blue light.

And then everything was gone.

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><p><strong>Eh? You like? It's a little confusing at the beginning so if you don't get it I'll explain a bit more.<strong>

**SUMMARY:**

** When Hera captures Percy from his cabin at camp, she accidentally sends him to Tartarus, or the deepest pits of hell. He awakens there and finds a goddess named Ava, who is the last child of Kronos and Rhea. Ava has been trapped in Tartarus since she was born, being raised by her Titan parents, hating them more and more each day because they keep her trapped up in such a dreadful place. She has been stuck there for centuries, waiting for her prophecy to come true; her prophecy that one day, a brave demigod hero who gets lost in Tartarus will match the blood of her grandfather and save her from being stuck in such a terrible place. Once she realizes that the blood matches that of Percy Jackson's, she saves him and sends him back to where he came from, where he loses the one thing she needed him to keep; his memory.**

**Please review! Tell me if you want me to continue!**

**Thanks guys! :D**


	2. Chapter 1: Percy

**From here on out, the story is basically just ****predictions**** about how the book was going to play out. I don't even really care much about this part because I'm not going to continue to use it with anything (seeing as the REAL book has already been published). The prologue was the only important part of this because if you want to understand my version of The Mark of Athena, then you really need to know what happened. **

**As for the rest of this… Well if you like my writing, feel free to read on :)**

**BTW: Yes, I usually do write full-on chapters like this. **

**(This chapter alone was 7 pages on Microsoft Word)**

**I**

**Percy**

I slowly blinked my eyes open. I was lying flat on my back in a misty forest clearing. It was nearly dawn, but the breezy sky was still dark. The cold, winter air chilled my bare arms and chest. I didn't know where I was. Actually, I didn't even know _who_ I was. I sat up awkwardly and looked around. It was just a regular forest, nothing should be wrong.

Then why was I so nervous? Why was I breathing so heavily? Maybe it was just the fact that I felt so alone, not even knowing who I was.

Then I looked around myself and realized that this was _not_ just an ordinary forest. It felt mysterious, more magical somehow. There was a mansion behind me that lay in ruins. Pieces of debris were here and there, dotting the ground. Pillars were lying sideways, like they had been knocked down. Or _burned_ down. It probably would've been a nice place to live if it wasn't, you know, destroyed.

I walked under an ancient stone doorway, hoping to find something that could remind me of my past life. I came to a stop near a wide, empty pool. It seemed strange for a pool to be in a house, even if the house was ancient, but I didn't pay much attention to it.

Then I heard a low growling sound coming from the breaks in the trees. Someone, or _something_, was watching me. I stood up slowly and began to tiptoe forward, hoping I wouldn't, like, step on a branch or something. That would be just my luck. I peered suspiciously through the trees, trying to see if anyone was there.

Then I distinctly heard a female voice inside my head. _Hello, demigod, _it said_, I am Lupa, the Mother of Wolves. I am the one who will be training you…if you pass my test._

I looked around anxiously for the voice. A she-wolf came out of the lofty thick trees, surrounded by more wolves. The she-wolf had brownish-red fur and big silver eyes that glowed in the darkness. She was just a few feet taller than me, which scared the crap out of me. She studied me, as if looking for a sign of weakness.

"What did you call me?" I asked her suspiciously, "A demigod?" The word rang a bell, but I couldn't exactly put my finger on it. It was like the memory was there, but I couldn't see it. I racked my brain, trying to see if I knew anyone named Lupa. Nothing sounded familiar.

Lupa looked bored, like she was used to this happening. _Yes, child, a demigod. The quicker you accept it, the easier this will be for you. Trust me._ Yeah, _that_ was going to happen._ What is your name?_ The she-wolf waited while the other gray wolves wandered around restlessly. It surprised me how calm she was. She glanced at me with those wise, silver eyes. The way she looked at me, it was like she was trying to read my thoughts – though that wouldn't work because even _I_ didn't know what to think. I didn't know why, but I felt like I had to prove myself to her. I tried to remember my name, like she had asked.

"Percy…I think." The word just spilled out of my mouth, as if it were a habit. Once I said it, though, I knew it was true. My name was Percy. _Great, _I thought,_ one memory down, billions to go. _

The she-wolf studied me with narrowed eyes, catching my hesitation. _You _think_? You should know your own name._ She came closer to me, trying to hold my gaze. I knew what she was doing; she was trying to see if I was nervous, if I showed fear. I steeled myself.

"I know my name. My name is Percy. Percy Jackson." Again, once I said the words, I knew they were correct.

Lupa, however, didn't look like she bought it. She continued to glare at me warily. I wasn't sure if I trusted Lupa either. She seemed all right, but too disciplined. I finally decided she was nice enough, but the other wolves were licking their lips – if wolves _had_ lips - as if to say _Dinnertime!_ and that kind of made me edgy. Finally, Lupa turned away. _Very well, Percy Jackson, follow me. It is time for your test._

We walked along the forest until we came to a spacious field. I looked around anxiously, expecting to see something like evil sea demons or giant flying pigs. However, all I could see was grass and trees and dirt.

Lupa told me to stand in the center of the field, and I didn't argue with her. She was giving me a look that said _if you argue, you will immediately become a dog biscuit._ I felt like I was standing there for hours when, finally, I felt the ground rumble beneath my feet. I stood my ground, determined not to fall over and look like an idiot, and surprisingly, it wasn't that difficult.

Then, a massive snake burst out of the ground at the edge of the field. Dirt splattered everywhere, and a gaping hole was left where the snake had appeared a moment ago.

Don't ask me how, but I sensed water in the soil beneath me. It seemed to make me stronger, more powerful. Instead of being frightened of a twenty-foot snake headed my way, I felt adrenaline rushing through my veins. My instincts kicked in; I pulled an ordinary-looking ballpoint pen out of my pocket and uncapped it. The pen grew into a long bronze sword with a sturdy hilt. It felt perfect in my hands. I even knew its name; _Anaklusmos_, or Riptide.

As the snake got closer, I noticed more details about it. It was silver, like metal, and had gleaming green eyes that stared at me hungrily. Its teeth were sharp and deadly – like all snakes' teeth – and it had a long, forked tongue. What really struck me as unordinary was the bulky, round diamond on its forehead. It seriously couldn't have been _born_ that way, could it?

I rolled sideways as it attempted to take a bite out of my head. I quickly thrust my sword at it and it backed away slightly, not wanting to come in contact with my weapon. It kept trying to find an unguarded spot to attack, but I was too quick for it, and my sword blocked its way every time.

After a few minutes, the snake seemed to be getting exhausted. Just when I thought it would give up, it opened its mouth extensively, like it was going to spit fire. Then I realized that it was _not_ just a seriously overgrown snake. It was a seriously overgrown _sea_ snake. That explained the wet soil and the green eyes, but I still didn't understand the diamond thing.

The snake spit thick, bright purple acid at me. I felt it graze my arm, but strangely enough, I didn't feel any pain. I managed to leap out of the way without dropping my sword. The acid hadn't damaged me as far as I could tell.

The real problem was the wolves. The acid also flew in the direction of the wolves waiting over by the trees and I could hear them yelping and scattering out of the way, deeper into the forest. They weren't watching me anymore; they had escaped into the trees. I was fighting a giant sea snake on my own. There was no backup here to help me if I had, like, _died_.

The next moment, I felt a familiar tug in my gut.

I thought I was about to lose my lunch or something when a really powerful burst of water came from the tip of my index finger, directed at the snake.

The water was much stronger than I thought it was. It was like a fire hydrant blast, enough to peel skin off someone's face. The snake thrashed and hissed as the water continually sprayed its scaly face. While it was distracted, I pushed my sword through a chink in its scales. Then the snake went _poof!_ and it turned into glimmering, metallic dust.

Soon the wolves returned to the clearing and Lupa came rushing toward me. She looked surprised and slightly impressed that I had won, even though she hadn't seen the end of the fight. The other wolves looked more disappointed, like they'd just lost their dinner.

Lupa seemed to smile at me as I recapped my pen. _Well done, Percy Jackson. You have passed my test._

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><p>Lupa walked swiftly through the forest while I struggled to keep up with her. I didn't know where the other wolves had gone. They'd just disappeared through the trees.<p>

I couldn't help thinking about the miraculous – yet extremely weird – thing that had happened to me while I was fighting the snake. _Water_ had come out of my _finger_. How had _that _happened? I had a nagging feeling that I was missing something extremely important here. I wondered if I should've told Lupa about it, but for some reason I decided just to keep it to myself.

We continued through the woods until the greenery became really thick, practically forming a wall around us. The morning sunlight was illuminating the treetops with yellow and I could see bright patches of light in the distance. Up ahead, Lupa calmly passed through a break in the trees, not even bothering to see if I was following.

I pushed the ferns away after her and an amazing scene lit my eyes. I was standing on the edge of a long, grassy valley, which was surrounded by the same thick wall of trees and plants that I had seen on my trip here. In the sunny valley were many hills, lined with different buildings or tents. Toward the center of the valley was a collection of bizarre, multicolored cabins. Below the short ledge I was standing on, a wide meadow spread out, coloring the grass with millions of beautiful flowers. The place reminded me of comfort, of _home_, but somehow it also felt wrong.

Lupa led me down a stone path through the meadow, toward a towering building – probably three or four stories high – with many shiny windows. It was pure white, but it still looked ancient. Even the double doors were huge – about twice my size.

I noticed a girl leaning on the wall next to the doors. She looked a little younger than me, maybe by one or two years. She had long, dark hair that was styled into an elegant ponytail. Her skin was ghostly pale, but her eyes were a warm, chocolaty brown. She looked up from the bright pink iPod she was holding and smiled kindly at me.

I smiled back at the girl. She took that as a confirmation and skipped toward us, her dark ponytail swinging. "I'm guessing we have a new camper," she said once she'd caught up to us. Her voice was sweet and perky, like a nice cheerleader's. "I'm Reyna Pride, by the way," she added. When she spoke to me she appeared to be mesmerized by something, but I didn't know what.

"Hi, Reyna, I'm Percy Jackson." I shook her hand. She was so friendly; it was hard not to smile back at her.

Reyna turned to Lupa. "How did his training go?" she asked.

Lupa made a face. _He did extremely well, even better than Jason._ I knew she hated saying this; whoever this Jason kid was, he must've been a favorite of hers. _On the way here, he told me that he lost his memory. He doesn't know what happened before he came to the Burned House. _

Now Reyna looked confused. "What does this mean, Lupa? This surely cannot be part of the new prophecy?"

Lupa sighed._ I am afraid I don't know, but it might be. We will just have to wait and see._ The she-wolf pushed the double doors open with her paw, and we followed her indoors. Inside, it was like a cathedral, wide and open, sunlight bursting through the many stained-glass windows. The room was empty except for the large statues of Greek gods circling it. For some reason, I recognized most of them, but there was something different about them, too. They looked angrier, more formal than I remembered.

I felt a sharp pain in my head. Greek gods? It didn't make sense. The Greek gods were just myths. Then I remembered what Lupa had said to me in the clearing. _Hello, demigod. I am Lupa, the Mother of Wolves. _Demigods, gods, it was all true. I was a demigod; half-mortal, and half-god.

Reyna noticed the realization on my face. "Percy, what's wrong? What are you thinking?" she asked me, concern in her eyes. It was so strange, she spoke to me like I was her best friend, but I'd only known her a couple minutes.

"I _am_ a half-blood, aren't I? A half-human, half-god," I voiced my thoughts to them. Lupa and Reyna were clearly shocked; they weren't expecting me to catch on so quickly.

"He's fast, isn't he?" Reyna asked Lupa, grinning, and then she turned back to me, "Yes, Percy, you are a half-blood. If you know any of the old stories about the gods, then you should know that they like to go around and have affairs with mortals. That results in us, in everyone at the Legion Academy."

"What's the Legion Academy?"

She smiled, "It's where we are now, this camp. It is a training camp for demigods, where we learn how to fight monsters."

Monsters. Strangely enough, that didn't sound crazy. I knew I had fought them before. Heck, I'd just fought a giant sea snake about an hour ago.

"So, if I'm a demigod, who's my dad?" I couldn't remember much about my past life, but I knew this much; I'd met my dad before. I vaguely remembered a tan, handsome man smiling proudly at me. Maybe he did care about me. Maybe he could help me figure out what was going on.

Reyna frowned, looking puzzled. "Your _dad? _So, does that mean that you remember having a mortal mother?"

"Well, now that you mention it, yes. But I also remember some things about my dad." I frowned, thinking harder, "I remember meeting him, but I don't know exactly where or what he looked like."

Reyna looked like she had just been slapped across the face. "But you couldn't have met _both_ of your parents before you even came to camp! You don't get claimed until _after_ your arrival! Are you _sure_ you've met both of your parents?"

"Positive."

Reyna pursed her lips, still looking like she hated not knowing all of the answers. I recognized that expression, but from where?

I didn't know what else to say. None of this made any sense, and nobody else seemed to have the answers, either. I was thinking of another question to ask when, suddenly, the door burst open and a bunch of tough-looking guys strolled casually into the room.

"Hey, who's this punk?" one of them asked, giving me an evil sneer.

To my complete surprise, Reyna stepped in front of me. I had no idea how this sweet, lovable girl was going to stand up to these mean-looking bullies. I was expecting the guys to laugh at her for trying to act tough, but instead they looked downright scared. They were _scared_ of_ her._

Only two of the guys weren't cowering. One of them was the biggest and most repulsive of the bullies with a dark eye patch draped across his left eye. The other was just standing off to the side, obviously not interested in getting into a fight with Reyna.

"Stay away from him," Reyna commanded with so much power radiating through her voice that even _I_ was worried. My image of the kind, harmless girl shattered instantly. She was a lot tougher than she looked.

The eye patch guy smirked, "Looks like the newbie's got a girl-" he stopped, midsentence, only just realizing that Lupa was there. I didn't blame him; Lupa was so eerily quiet that she seemed to vanish when we weren't looking.

Lupa glared at him. _Get back to your cabin, Chuck. It is nearly time for breakfast. Go, all of you._ Lupa looked at the guy in the corner, who looked back at her calmly. _Not you, Dakota, I have someone I would like you to meet. _Dakota nodded and came forward.

Once all of the big guys – minus Dakota – had left, Dakota held out his hand to me, "My name is Dakota Knight, but my _friends_ call me Kody." He said _friends _like I obviously wasn't included in that group. He had dark, longish hair and he was seriously ripped. He looked like the kind of guy who could make a pro-wrestler run for his mommy. He didn't smile, but his calm, dark eyes didn't appear mean, either. He just seemed composed and unconcerned. I shook his hand; it was quick and formal, nothing like Reyna's soft handshake.

Reyna smiled at me apologetically and I smiled back at her with as much poise as I could manage. I wasn't going to let this guy get on my nerves. I looked him straight in the eye and said, "My name is Percy Jackson." I was pleased to hear that my voice didn't sound lame. In fact, I sounded pretty confident.

Dakota seemed to rethink this situation. He smiled slightly, "I'm impressed by your enthusiasm, Percy. It reminds me of someone else I knew." Then his smile disappeared and he frowned slightly. Reyna looked wistfully at her pink shoelaces.

"So…who is your godly parent?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

Dakota seemed to forget the previous conversation; he straightened his shoulders and half-smiled at me. "Son of Mars," he said coolly.

I frowned. "Isn't that, like, Ares?"

Reyna looked up from her shoes. "Ares? No, Ares is Greek, Mars is Roman." She stared at me, confusion in her milky brown eyes.

Recognition dawned on Lupa's face. Again, she was so silent, I'd almost forgotten she was there. _Well, it is almost time for breakfast, why don't we go settle down? I will quickly show Percy to the Unclaimed cabin before the feast. _Lupa nudged me forward with a wet nose, and I obeyed.

I waved good-bye to my new friends, and they waved back, a smile on both of their faces.

_I think I can get used to this, _I thought to myself as I walked out of the ancient building, Lupa trotting along beside me.

But something inside me knew it would all end soon.

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><p><strong>So tell me what you think! Please review! Thanks :D<strong>


	3. Chapter 2: Percy

**II**

**Percy**

Lupa led me toward the colorful cabins. As we got closer, the cabins came into better view. They were aligned in a perfectly straight line, but I couldn't see that they were in any specific order because they were all unique. One of them was pure gold, another was gleaming silver. The two in the front of the line were tall and pure white.

As we walked, something inside me flickered to life and I came to a halt in front of a tall, fish-like cabin. It was covered with scales that reflected blue and green in the sunlight. The doors were white and made of seashell. Two golden tridents stood on either side of the doorway. This place had a sense importance to it, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

Without waiting for Lupa – who hadn't noticed me stop – I walked up the abalone steps and peeked into a wide room that smelled exactly like the sea. The room was totally decked out with colorful plush chairs and a few beds with blue satin sheets. Large pearls were hanging from the ceiling, and – besides the furniture – the room was empty.

Lupa finally seemed to notice that I wasn't behind her anymore. She froze and turned to see me about to enter the ocean-like cabin. Before I could set my foot inside, she barked noisily at me._ I wouldn't do that, pup. The Roman gods do not enjoy it when other demigod children besides their own enter their cabin. You would most likely be burned on the spot if you enter that cabin._

For some reason, Lupa's threat didn't scare me. In fact, I felt like it would've been _safer_ if I went into this cabin. Then I decided not to take my chances. Getting burned to ashes wouldn't make this a very good first day.

I slouched down the steps, disappointed. Lupa stared at me thoughtfully for a moment, but then she turned and continued to stroll past the cabins.

A large, dark hole was fenced off between the sixth and seventh cabins. Part of me wondered where it led to, but if it was heavily guarded I figured I really didn't want to know.

At the very end of the line was a very ordinary-looking cabin. It looked like a regular camp cabin that you would see in the woods at a summer camp. It was completely made of wood with a narrow front porch that had a wooden railing trailing the edges. It looked really…old.

As I stepped inside, I noticed that the cabin was a lot bigger than it looked. The cabin was split into two sides; boys on the left side, girls on the right. Several hallways led to different rooms, and each room had four bunk beds with plain white sheets. Let me tell you, the beds were not the only things that were messy.

Lupa led me into a small – yet clean – room with freshly-made beds and a long brown table pressed up against a wall. There was one window.

I didn't know if this was an empty room, or if the demigods who lived here were just extremely tidy, but I decided that I would figure out sooner or later.

Lupa spoke up as I ran my finger along the surface of the empty table. _I will be heading to the dining area. Come when you are settled here. It is over by the creek so it should not be easy to miss. Do not be late. _With that, she leaped out of the room, racing back down the empty corridor, heading toward the dining area. I was surprised to see her quit her graceful manner. I was tempted to yell "No running in the halls, or I'll give you a ticket!" like a crazy hall monitor, but I didn't. No need to become dog chow on my first day.

I walked over to one of the bunk beds and sat down on it.

This was a lot to take in. Oddly enough, the fact that the gods were real – that I was a demigod – was not the hard part. It was the loss of memory and why I felt so nervous being here. It didn't feel right to be at this camp. I was sure that I was _not_ supposed to be here.

I set Riptide on the brown table, hoping I wouldn't need it anytime soon. I went to look out of one of the wide windows when I caught my reflection in it.

I had jet black hair that spiked up a little in the front, looking freshly cut although I obviously didn't remember cutting it. I was pretty tan, especially compared to Reyna. My eyes were a melting gold color.

Wait._ Gold?_ That didn't seem right, but it did sound familiar, like I'd known someone with gold eyes in the past. Plus, I remembered my eyes being a different color before.

Something just wasn't…right about the way I looked. I didn't recognize myself at all. My eyes were a different color than I was used to. My face was too…perfect. I was more muscular than I remembered. Even with amnesia, I should've at least recognized myself. Shouldn't I?

To add to my strange appearance, I was wearing an orange T-shirt and simple jeans with black Reeboks. The problem: my shirt was ripped down the middle and stained with red spots. _Bloody _spots. I wasn't sure what that meant, but there was definitely something strange about it. Then I realized that my face had a few streaks of blood on it, too. Okay, ripped, blood-stained shirt and blood-streaked, perfect face that I didn't recognize. Yeah, there was definitely something wrong here.

One thing was for sure though; the blood on my shirt was not _my_ blood. Trust me; I would've known if I had that much blood missing from my body.

My necklace was interesting though; it was a leather string with unique beads on it. One of the beads was black with a trident on it; another was of a tall building with miniscule writing circling it, but the letters were so small that I couldn't read them.

The sharp pain started in my head again – just icing on the Cake of Life – and it felt like I was trying to access memory that wasn't there. Something was familiar about this necklace, but I couldn't figure out what.

Before I could think of anything else, a chiming bell sounded somewhere in the distance; the dining area. I quickly exited the cabin and followed the sound.

In the dining area, a large field was decorated with picnic tables. Groups of kids were standing around, laughing and chatting with each other. I noticed Chuck and the group of big ugly guys that I had seen earlier. They were running around, pushing and hitting each other, acting like idiots – I figured that wasn't hard for them to do. Dakota wasn't with them.

I found Reyna waving at me over by a tall oak tree. I walked over to her and became aware that she was with some other demigods, who were all lounging casually around the oak tree. There were three girls – including Reyna – and two guys – including Dakota.

The tallest of the girls had straight blonde hair and was holding a large gold coin that I somehow recognized as a drachma. Her light blue eyes glared menacingly at me. I had no idea why she did that.

The other girl had short brown hair; that with her emerald green eyes and seriously rosy cheeks, she looked like she was the daughter of Mother Nature. She was young – maybe eight or nine years old.

They were both pretty, but there was a sense of disappointment in both of their faces. For the most part, the young girl looked shy, and the girl holding the coin looked like she wanted to smack the socks off me.

The guy that wasn't Kody had spiky dirty-blonde hair and light brown eyes, like Reyna's. He had a wide, mischievous grin on his face that immediately said _I'm going to put a 'kick me' sign on your back when you're not looking!_ Well, too bad, because I was going to keep a close eye on him. He was maybe twelve or thirteen years old and he looked like the kind of guy anyone could easily hang around, even if they became his next prankee.

Reyna smiled at me. "Percy Jackson, I'd like you to meet Hazel Richardson, daughter of Mercury," – she pointed to the tall girl with blonde hair – "Gwendolyn Carter, daughter of Ceres," – the young girl beside her smiled shyly as she was introduced – "and–" she was cut off by the spiky-haired kid, who stepped forward; wanting to introduce himself.

"I'm Robert Aimes, but you can call me Bobby," he smiled and held out his hand to me.

I shook his hand warily, hoping he wasn't up to something sneaky. "Alright, Bobby then. Are you a son of Apollo?"

Bobby nodded and winked at me. "You bet I am, but I'm not _just_ a Son of Apollo. I'm the Super-Duper-_Amazing_ Son of Apollo," he wiggled his eyebrows at me, then he looked at me interrogatively, as if I was in court and he was asking me a life-or-death question, "Did anyone tell you about Jason, the Son of Jupiter?"

I smiled. "I've heard his name before, but I don't know who he is." I frowned at Reyna, "Why is he called the Son of _Jupiter?_ Isn't it Zeus?"

The others were confused, but Reyna just sighed. "Technically, yes. Jupiter is the Greek version of Zeus, but we are Romans. We don't really get along with Greeks. I hope that it's just a coincidence that you like the Greek names," her smile returned, "now c'mon, guys, the food is ready!"

Reyna and I waited until the others went ahead, and then we slowly walked toward a long building on the edge of the field. I could smell the delicious fumes wafting through the air. I never even realized how hungry I was. I felt like I hadn't eaten in days. Maybe I hadn't.

I noticed many of the demigods smiling and waving at Reyna as we passed them. They gave me curious looks; probably wondering if I was cool or a complete loon. I hoped they wouldn't decide on the latter. Some of the girls were staring at me with dreamy expressions, which made me really self-conscious.

I wondered what Reyna had done to become so popular. I mean, _everyone_ was looking at her. I decided to ask her about it later.

"So where exactly is this place – the Legion Academy?" I asked her.

"Oh, we're in Berkeley Hills, California. Don't worry though, the mortals can't see it. It just looks like a regular forest to them."

"Okay. What exactly do we _do_ here?"

"We do activities, train, capture the flag, train, work in the armory, train, have gatherings around the campfire… oh, and did I mention we train?"

"You might've said it once or twice." I smiled, "Wow, this place sounds like bundles of _fun_."

She laughed, "Oh, it is. It's just orderly. We like to keep everything organized and formal. Even the claiming is formal."

That reminded me, "About that, who is _your_ godly parent?" I had heard about everyone's parentage, but not hers.

Reyna frowned, "I don't know. I was never claimed."

This confused me. "But everyone knows you. You're, like, one of the most important people here. Even Lupa trusts you. I thought you would've been claimed already."

I thought she was going to get angry or something, but she just smiled sadly. "Nope. I'm only popular because I'm a good fighter. And I wouldn't say I'm _that_ important." She blushed at my compliment.

I thought about this. Surely, her parent – whoever it was – would be proud of her for being so important; they would claim her.

"So, you're staying in the Unclaimed cabin, too?"

"Yeah," she said, sounding slightly happier.

We finally reached the kitchen, a large, long building that was made of red brick. Inside, it was crowded with demigods, lining up in front of long, marble counters, being served eggs and pancakes. It reminded me of a school cafeteria; crowded, with old lunch-ladies serving everyone food. Reyna and I picked up trays of waffles, bacon, and fruit. I noticed the other demigods going to drop a piece of their food into a fire in the corner of the kitchen.

"Food for the gods," Reyna said as she noticed me looking over at the fire, "They like the –"

"Smell," I finished for her. She gave me a questioning look, but didn't say anything. We stood in line for the fire and once I got to the front I picked up a juicy strawberry, dropped it into the fire, and murmured, "Whoever you are, can you help me figure out what's going on?" Nothing happened, so I shrugged and walked back to the field with Reyna.

I sat on a picnic table with Reyna and her friends; Dakota, Gwen, Hazel, and Bobby. I vaguely remembered, somewhere else, having to sit at certain, assigned tables. I wondered why they didn't do that here, if they were so worried about organization. Maybe there had been a problem and they decided to just forget the rule. Or maybe they hadn't made that rule at all. Who knew? Reyna probably did. Note to self: ask Reyna what _exactly_ she meant about organization later.

"Do you think Percy will get a quest?" Dakota asked the group.

Bobby grinned, "That would be _awesome_! Other than the fact that the last person who got a quest…" everyone frowned, Bobby looked at his plate wistfully, "Man, I wish I'd been chosen to go."

"Aw, Bobby, you know Jason would've taken you with. He just had other people he needed to choose." Gwen told him quietly. I'd never heard her speak before; her voice was calm and gentle, even though she was so young.

When Jason's name was mentioned the whole group had looked even more dispirited. Dakota grimaced. Hazel flinched. Reyna had silent tears running down her pale cheeks.

"Yeah, more _important_ people," Bobby grumbled, but he looked gloomy, too. Reyna quickly wiped her tears, obviously hoping nobody had noticed. Nobody had, except me.

"So who exactly _is_ Jason?" I asked calmly, not wanting to make anyone more miserable, but also wanting my questions answered.

Reyna spoke up when no one else did, "As you already know, Jason is the only demigod Son of Jupiter. He was the leader of this camp – besides Lupa, of course. He was also our best fighter and my best friend. Jason went missing about a week ago. We've been doing everything we can to find him, but Lupa won't let us leave camp. He was like a brother to me, and now he's gone." I knew she was trying to be strong, to not let herself cry again, but she still seemed on the verge of tears.

"Oh." I said lamely. "I don't know if it will matter much, but I'll help you find him. If I _do_ get a quest, I mean."

Everyone looked a little happier when I said this; a few of the smiled at me. Except for Hazel, who just glared. Typical.

Reyna's smile was the most dazzling, "Really, Percy? You'll help us?"

"Of course."

Reyna – who was sitting next to me on the picnic table – gave me an awkward sideways hug. I noticed that Hazel, of course, was still glaring.

I wondered what her problem was; I didn't do anything to make her angry. Although I thought my promise was pointless – I was probably _not_ going to get a quest anytime soon – everyone else seemed to think I was doing them a huge favor. Hazel didn't. She just looked like she wanted to punch me into a coma. I'd known her all of, what, an hour?

Reyna noticed me looking at Hazel. "Hazel, aren't you happy? He's willing to help us find Jason! Lupa seems to really like him – well, she hasn't eaten him or yelled at him yet, so it's a start. And maybe he can convince her to let us search!"

Hazel continued to stare me down. "I'm going to go practice my archery," she mumbled before picking up her tray and stomping away furiously.

Reyna frowned. "Sorry about that, Percy. She doesn't usually act this way. I wonder what's wrong with her."

"I don't know," I said.

Nobody else seemed to either.

During the rest of the day, I took lessons from satyrs – which everyone here insisted was called a _faun_ – wood nymphs, and even some of the wolves taught me some cool ways to lure and trap an enemy. But I was mostly taught by Reyna. She was a pretty decent fighter; I watched her take out a straw dummy with so much skill she knocked its head clean off its shoulders.

Then Bobby came in to the training arena – which was as big as a football stadium and was encircled with benches, just like an actual coliseum – grinning, as always. "Hey, look who it is. It's Reyna and two dummies." Reyna laughed and I made a face at him, jokingly.

I watched Reyna and Bobby swordfight. They were _both_ good – smooth swipes and quick defense – but their technique bewildered me. As far as I knew, I hadn't seen that type of sword fighting before. While I was watching their intense battle, Dakota and Gwen came in, too, followed by Lupa. Reyna gave her sword – a long, gleaming sword made entirely of gold – a sharp flick, and Bobby's identical sword skidded out of his hands.

"Shoot, I need to work on the balance." Bobby looked disappointed, Reyna looked almost smug, but she hid it fairly well.

"It's alright, Bobby," I reassured him, "You were both amazing."

They smiled at me.

Dakota shrugged, "Eh, they were all right, but I'd like to see some real action!" He got up off the floor and flipped a golden coin. The coin grew into a gold sword; identical to Reyna and Bobby's. He began toward me. I knew what to do; I pulled out my deadly ballpoint pen. It seemed strange that the pen had reappeared in my pocket after I'd left it in my cabin this morning.

Dakota chortled at me. "Oh no, he's got a pen! Run for your lives!" he said sarcastically. Lupa was smiling knowingly.

I uncapped the pen as Dakota was about to make the first strike. Riptide appeared in my hands and I guarded myself against his blow. He was momentarily surprised, so I took the chance to press him. When he refocused, he slammed his sword into mine, and I used the force of his swing to propel myself into a sideways spin. I spun in midair and landed in a crouch, my back to him. As he rushed toward me from behind, I spun to meet his sword with so much force that his sword shattered into a million tiny shards. I flipped my sword-point toward his neck, gingerly touching the tip of my sword to his throat. As I pulled it away, already declared the winner, he collapsed onto the sandy floor.

Dakota, his dark hair falling in his face, was panting. I was a little shocked to realize that I actually _beat _him, but other than that I was fine. I felt like I'd just been trying to swat an annoying fly; like I'd been active, but I wasn't tired or sweaty or anything.

If I had been swatting a fly, Dakota had just been mobbed by a hive of bees. He was leaning on his arm, taking in enormous gasps of air. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Dakota asked me breathlessly.

"I don't know." I thought hard, still feeling like I could take on the world, despite my amnesia, "I think I learned it at –"

Before I could finish my thought, Lupa barked; a loud, echoing sound that reverberated across the whole room. She seemed anxious now, like she was eager to be somewhere else, _anywhere_ else. _Now, pups, it is time for dinner. Follow me._

And Lupa shoved us out of the arena with her damp, puppy nose, leaving my incomplete thoughts in a total jumble.

After dinner, the campers started toward a break in the trees like the one I had come through. We were told to walk in single-file lines according to our cabin. So now I was walking in line with a bunch of unique-looking demigods – the Unclaimed demigods – and none of them seemed very interested in me. Reyna was the head counselor for the Unclaimed cabin, so she had to walk in the front of the line, while I was the newbie, stuck at the back._ So_ this _is that organization thing Reyna told me about_, I thought miserably.

I noticed that Reyna seemed to be looking for something. _Hazel_, I thought, _where did Hazel go?_ She hadn't shown up for dinner. I peered over at the Hermes – er, _Mercury_ – cabin's line. Hazel wasn't there.

I decided to search for Hazel and ask her what I'd done to irritate her so much. I looked around at the surrounding campers; none of them were paying me any attention. I silently slipped from the crowd, unnoticed.

I searched around for the archery range. I know, it sounds like a long shot, but hey, she'd specifically said that she was going to practice her archery. _What could it hurt?_ I wondered.

My question was answered immediately as I was chased back to my cabin by a pack of hungry-looking wolves. _A lot_, I thought angrily,_ it could hurt a lot._

Once the coast was clear, I headed toward the Mercury cabin. It was low and tan, with a caduceus over the doorway. Small white wings sprouted from the door handle. I struggled to get the door open; the stubborn wings kept getting in the way. Finally, the door opened by itself and a tall, blonde girl stepped out of the doorway. At first she was surprised, but then she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Look, Hazel –" I began, but she cut me off.

"Percy, I know you're probably wondering why I haven't exactly taken to you like the others." She assumed, her voice calm. For once, she wasn't glaring at me. Instead, she looked nervous, like it was hard for her to say this.

_That's an understatement_, I thought grumpily, but I let her finish.

Hazel looked anxiously into the distance. Then she stepped out of the cabin, shut the door behind her, and began to stroll in the direction of the other campers. I quickly followed her.

"I was actually wondering what I did to make you so mad at me," I told her truthfully, trying to keep up without stumbling over like, rocks, or my own feet. Or even the flat ground. Yeah, I know, it takes some serious skills to do something like _that,_ and I've definitely got skills.

"Look, Percy, it's not you, it's just… I don't like…when people…try to take…" she trailed off. I had a pretty good guess as to what she was going to say next.

"When people try to take Jason's place?" I finished for her.

She smiled sadly. "I don't know. This has never happened before. I mean, Jason mysteriously goes missing and a few days later, you show up and everyone treats you like you're just as good as he was – no, not _as_ good. _Better_. I feel like I'm the only one who realizes what's really going on here."

"That I'm taking Jason's place? I'm sorry, but I didn't mean for this to –" Hazel cut me off again.

She frowned. "I _know_ you didn't mean to, but that doesn't mean that it's not true. Reyna and the others, they don't think there's anything wrong here. They're just happy to have a leader again. Believe me, they miss Jason, but they aren't thinking about the big picture. Whether you meant it or not, you're becoming our new leader, Mr. Perfect."

I laughed at my new nickname. "I don't know about _perfect_, but I do see where you're going with this. Look, I don't _want_ to be the leader; I hardly know anything about _myself_. I can't even remember when my own _birthday_ is. And truthfully, I don't know much about leading at the moment, either. Besides, I already said I would help you find Jason, didn't I?"

Hazel smiled. "Yes, I suppose you did. Just be careful, okay? And if you tell _anyone_ what I said tonight, you will wake up in a pot of boiling lava, understand?"

I grinned at her. "No problem."


	4. Chapter 3: Reyna

**III**

**Reyna**

Reyna Pride didn't know what was going on. Hazel hadn't shown up for dinner and Reyna was worried that something had happened to her. Hazel was angry with Percy for some reason. Reyna didn't understand why.

In her opinion, Percy was a really nice guy. He seemed like he would make an excellent friend.

But apparently, Hazel didn't feel the same way.

And now, Percy was nowhere to be seen, either. Reyna had seen him only minutes before. He had been sulking in the back of the Unclaimed demigods line and looking like he'd wanted to be anywhere else. Reyna hadn't even seen him leave.

Reyna hoped that he hadn't been eaten by the wolves. Oh no. The wolves. Hadn't anyone told Percy about the wolves?

The distant howling told Reyna that no, they did not.

The wolves were the ones that kept everything in order at camp. Sometimes Reyna and her friends liked to call them the 'Nazi Dogs' because of the way they ran the camp. The wolves would eat anything or anyone that put even a toe out of line. Sometimes they would let you pass, but only if you were one of the leaders like Reyna and Jason. Since Percy was new, they wouldn't allow him to pass even if he promised them a lifetime supply of doggie kibble.

Reyna was determined to find Percy and make sure he was okay. She knew he could easily protect himself – he was one of the best swordfighters she'd seen, maybe even _the_ best – but Reyna didn't want to take any chances. She'd already lost Jason, her best friend, practically her brother. Reyna didn't want to lose Percy, too. He was already starting to grow on her.

She easily walked away from the Undetermined line. Nobody stopped her – like anyone would care if _she_ was out of line. She raced over the lush, emerald grass toward the cabins and came to an immediate stop as she noticed two campers headed in her direction. They didn't even seem to notice Reyna staring, openmouthed, at them.

The two campers were Hazel and Percy.

And they were _laughing_. For Percy, it wasn't that surprising, but Reyna hadn't seen Hazel laugh that much since Jason had accidentally tripped over her flying shoes.

Reyna started toward them and Percy noticed her. "Hey, Reyna. I was just looking for Hazel," he said casually. "She was in her cabin; she's okay,"

Reyna couldn't help but admire his perfect face. He truly did look like a Greek god – not just a _demigod_ – with the right body and everything. She loved the way his golden eyes sparkled when he smiled; the way he always seemed to have a sense of humor underneath whatever other emotion he was showing. He was so easy to be around, and right now he seemed even more buoyant.

"All right," Reyna said slowly. She didn't know what was going on here. A few hours ago, Hazel had been glaring at Percy nonstop. And now she was smiling and laughing as if nothing had happened earlier. Reyna wondered what Percy could've possibly said to make Hazel change her mind. It must've been pretty good to make Hazel happy.

"So, why exactly is everyone going in the forest over there?" Percy asked, staring over at the edge of the trees, the excited grin still on his face.

Reyna frowned. This was the time of day she dreaded most. Every day, the same feeling of intense hope rushed through her. Every day, it was crushed and she would have to wait another full day. And now it was time again.

"They are all heading to the campfire," Hazel said quietly, noticing Reyna's disappointment. "That's the time when demigods are either claimed or not claimed. Even if the gods decide to claim their children during the day, it only truly happens during the campfire."

Percy frowned, his excitement fading, and turned to Reyna, "So, this is what you meant by "formal claiming", isn't it?"

Reyna nodded.

Nobody said anything else all the way to the break in the trees. As Reyna, Hazel, and Percy passed through the entrance to the campfire, Reyna felt that rushing hope again. She wished she didn't feel that way. Just looking at the rows of stone benches rising in front of the sizzling, color-changing fire pit made Reyna shudder. She hated this place. It was where her seven years of training at camp made her feel like it was all worthless – like she truly wasn't a part of camp, no matter how much she'd trained.

Reyna sat on the bench next to her friends – Kody, Bobby, Gwen, Hazel, and now, Percy. All of them gave her the same look of pity and sorrow that they'd always given her during this time, except Percy. Instead, he looked hopeful, like he knew that everything was going to turn out all right. Reyna smiled. That was the same look that Jason had always given her.

Lupa paced around the edges of the trees. Her fur looked like muddy flames in the light of the fire.

Then she turned to all of the campers. _Now, pups, before we begin the campfire, I have a few announcements to make. _

_First of all, I would like to inform you all that we have a new camper. Percy Jackson,_ she nodded toward Percy, who smiled. Reyna noticed Bobby give him a thumbs-up. _And he has informed me that he has amnesia. Please keep in mind that he doesn't know much about his past, so do not question him about it. _Yes, children, please do not question Mr. Forgets-A-Lot – also known as Percy.

_Secondly, there still has been no sign of Jason, so we have been – _she cut off, looking directly at Reyna. Reyna was confused at the sudden lack of sound; everything had suddenly gone silent. She wondered what Lupa had been about to say. Surely she hadn't finished her speech yet. For a startling moment, Reyna wondered if she had randomly gone deaf. Then she calmed down. No, that couldn't have happened.

Then she noticed something; it wasn't just Lupa who was looking at her, _everyone_ was.

Not just staring, but gawking. Countless eyes were trained on Reyna and just as many mouths were hanging open. Reyna hoped that none of her fellow campers would catch flies in there.

Then Reyna knew what was going on. Someone had been claimed. Judging by the many shocked demigod faces turned toward her, Reyna had a pretty good idea as to who it was.

It was _her_. Reyna had just been claimed.

Reyna couldn't believe this was happening. _Finally,_ she thought. She looked above her head and gasped silently.

No, it couldn't be possible. This couldn't be happening.

Above Reyna's head were crimson flames, dancing around a white skull.

Some of the campers seemed to regain their senses enough to kneel – like Percy. Others were just too stunned to do anything. Some of those campers included Bobby, Kody, Gwen, and Hazel, who looked like their eyes were going to burst out of their sockets.

Lupa looked perplexed, but she still said the words Reyna dreaded to hear. _Ladies and gentleman, all hail Reyna Pride, the daughter of Pluto._


	5. Chapter 4: Reyna

**IV**

**Reyna**

After the campfire, Reyna was still shocked beyond words as she wandered around the camp. Her father was Pluto, the God of the Underworld.

Reyna had made many guesses as to who her Olympian parent could be – it could've been any of the gods _or_ goddesses because Reyna had never met either of her parents – but she had never once thought about it being _Pluto_. It just didn't make sense.

Sure, Reyna had always been strangely pale, but that was about the _only_ thing that she had in common with the God of Death.

Reyna hated it when creatures died. She'd grown up in San Francisco, being an orphan on the run, until a young faun had found her at age eight. She'd been a vegetarian, living on fruits and veggies, because she just couldn't kill a living creature.

And now she was supposed to be the daughter of the god who ruled all dead things. _Riiight._

Other than Percy, none of her friends had said anything to her after she'd been claimed. They wouldn't even _look_ at her, but she knew they were just in shock. Thank the gods, Percy had been nice about it; congratulating her for being claimed, smiling at her as if she was still the same no matter who her parents were.

And she was extremely grateful.

Reyna wouldn't know what to do if _all_ of her friends had ignored her. Maybe she would've sat in her cabin all alone until the wolves came and ate her.

Oh gods, where was she going to _sleep?_ There was no Pluto cabin at camp. And they couldn't just _make_ one.

Even if she _did_ have a cabin, Reyna knew it would be a lonely experience to live in it. She would be the only one in an entire cabin. Having no one to talk to or hang out with sounded pretty lonesome.

She wondered if this was how Jason had felt, being alone in the Jupiter cabin. He had probably felt lonely, too. But why didn't he say anything about it? _Oh yeah, it's _Jason_,_ Reyna thought. And he _never_ wanted to sound weak. was a totally Jupiter-like thing to do.

Reyna felt guilty as she was thinking about her friends. All those times she had thought _her_ life was hard; sharing a cabin with a bunch of wild demigods – who weren't her siblings – when Jason had been alone with no brothers or sisters or even _friends_ in his cabin at all.

And actually, Reyna felt bad for Percy, too. She had _hated_ having to live in the Unclaimed cabin at first. It was absolutely dreadful as a newbie. None of the kids would pay any attention to her. She remembered having to walk in the back of the line every day, having no one to talk to or laugh with. It was seriously depressing. Reyna shivered at the memory of her first few weeks at camp, the only time in her life she had truly felt alone, even as a hobo with no family.

Reyna sighed and strode off to visit Percy. She wasn't going to let Percy's time at camp be as miserable as hers had been. If they were going to be alone, might as well do it together.

Reyna had been to the Unclaimed cabin, well, her whole time at camp – so about seven and a half years – but she had never had a need to visit the boys' side of the cabin. Reyna was shocked – well, not really – to see that it was a _lot_ messier than the girls' side had been. White pillows and sheets were piled on the floors, personal items were stuffed onto the tables. Even the _bathrooms_ were filthy. And Reyna did _not_ want to describe them.

Reyna peeked in each of the rooms, looking for Percy, when she finally found him in a small room that was just as ordinary as the others, but much cleaner. He was sprawled on one of the white bunk beds, his dark hair ruffled on the pure white pillow. He was holding a crumpled-looking piece of paper, examining it, as if he were trying to figure out what it was. Reyna was wondering what was on that paper when she noticed that it was not just a piece of paper, it was a _picture_.

"What's that?" Reyna asked flippantly as she came through the door.

Percy looked up, startled, and quickly stuffed the crumpled picture into his pocket. "Nothing," he said swiftly, ignoring Reyna's gaze. Reyna decided not to press him; she hardly knew him. Maybe she would ask him about it when they were better friends.

Then Percy suddenly smiled at Reyna, a smile that could instantly light up the night sky. "How's it going, Devil Girl?" he asked lightly.

Reyna grinned at his lighthearted humor, even though she didn't particularly enjoy her new "daddy". She decided to tell him the truth. "Actually, it's not that great. There's no cabin for Pluto and I don't know where to stay."

Percy seemed to think about this. "You should ask Lupa about it later, see what she says," – Reyna smiled to herself. She liked the way he said _later_; it meant that he still wanted to talk to her at the moment – "but if you've got nowhere else to stay, I just might let you stay in my cabin once I find out who my dad is."

Reyna knew this was a false hope; he probably wasn't going to be claimed soon. Only the best of the best were claimed because their parents were proud of them and wanted to have credit for their amazing children. Or they're just lazy, like Reyna's dad. It wasn't likely, but Percy might just be right. Who knew? Reyna had to admit that Percy was a pretty skilled swordfighter. He just might get claimed soon.

Nonetheless, Reyna didn't want to burst his bubble, so she just gave him a suspicious look. "What's the catch?"

"Oh, I don't know. How about you give me eternal servitude and we'll call it even?" he was grinning evilly at Reyna and she thought it looked strange on his usually-kind face.

Reyna smirked. "Deal." She hoped that he was joking about the servitude thing, but truthfully, she wasn't exactly sure.

Percy smiled normally now, but his melting, golden eyes were soft. "So, why is there no Pluto cabin?" he asked, actually looking concerned.

"You know, ruler of the Underworld and all, he's not very popular with the other Roman gods."

"Yeah, that sounds familiar for some reason." His eyebrows scrunched together and he seemed to be trying to remember something, but he couldn't. Then he suddenly perked up. "I was wondering earlier, you said that everything was more organized here, so why are we not assigned to certain tables during meals?"

Reyna smiled, remembering the day the rule had been changed, "Well, we used to have that rule, until about three years go. Well, one day some of the kids from different cabins were trying to talk to each other from across the tables. One of the boys from the Vulcan cabin threw a spaghetti noodle at another camper to get his attention, and it started a huge food fight. It took days to get all of the food out of the grass. So, Lupa decided to just let us sit wherever we wanted as long as we didn't throw food to get others' attention. It was pretty fun, actually."

Percy was listening intently to her story. He seemed so intrigued by her little tale that it made Reyna want to laugh. Then he asked another question.

"During Lupa's test, the snake I fought had a diamond on its head. Was it born that way or was the diamond like, engraved in its head?" Reyna wondered if he was joking, but he looked dead serious.

He had seriously fought snakes? That was…different. "Huh. I don't know. I didn't fight a snake during my test. In fact, I've never even heard of anyone fighting a snake before. The test is supposed to change according to your personality, but I think it symbolizes your future so you can have a little hint about your godly parent before you come into camp."

Reyna thought about something else. "Now that you mention it, on my first day I fought these winged demons that were very similar to the Dirae – or the Furies, in your case – during my test." Then Reyna grimaced, "Oh, jeez, I _really_ hope that's not my future."

"And I fought a snake with a diamond in its head," Percy muttered quietly to himself, but Reyna heard it. She smiled reassuringly at him.

"It's just a theory, Percy, don't worry about it."

Percy seemed to think of another question. "So, how old are you, exactly? And the others, how old are they? 'Cause I _know_ Gwen is not thirteen."

Reyna laughed. "Oh, gods, I hope not. She's already too tough for her age. Gwen is eight, but she's turning nine in about a month. Bobby is twelve, but he acts like he's five. Hazel, Kody, and I are all fifteen. How old are you, do you think?"

"Um, I think that I'm seventeen. I'm not positive, I just…have a feeling that I am." Percy sighed, and Reyna realized that some of his memories seemed to be returning. "So if Hazel, Kody, and you are all fifteen, who's the oldest out of the group? Besides me, of course."

Reyna stared out of the crystal-clear window, she wasn't sure exactly, but she thought he might be trying to find out more about Jason. _So what?_ She asked herself. It might actually help them, because Percy claimed he would help them search.

"Jason was, but since he's gone at the moment, I guess I am."

"Huh." Percy tilted his head to one side, thinking. Reyna thought he would ask more about the missing son of Jupiter, but he didn't. "You know, I think I knew a child of Hades – er, Pluto – before. I don't know how I did, but you just remind me of her." Percy sat up, as if it would help him remember better. "Yeah, she had to take care of her little brother because they had lost their mom and she was the oldest. But then she died, too, and the little brother ran away for some reason, maybe not because of his sister's death, but because he was angry."

"He ran away from where?" Reyna asked, curious.

Percy seemed to be lost in thought. Then he just sighed, "I'm not sure, but I _will_ find out."

Reyna wasn't sure if he was reassuring her or himself, but Reyna would stick with him through and through. "C'mon," she told Percy, "I've been in here for way too long. Let's go to the Big House to see if we can convince Lupa to let us search for Jason."


	6. Chapter 5: Bobby

**V**

**Bobby**

Bobby wasn't sure where everyone had gone after the campfire. After Reyna had been declared Princess of Death, nobody had really known what to say. All this time, Reyna had been the perky, nice girl who was extremely popular – and hot – and was one of Lupa's head commanders. Now she was the Daughter of Pluto – not exactly Mr. Happy-Happy-Joy-Joy.

Now Bobby couldn't find any of his friends. Where had they all gone? The last he'd seen them, they had all looked like they were about to faint, or scream, or throw up. Probably all three.

So, now, Bobby was wandering around the camp without a clue as to where he was going or where his best friends were. He was so bored.

Bobby heard a faint howling over by the creek, but he didn't care about the wolves. Jason had stood up to them all the time. Now, Bobby knew exactly how to make them leave him alone. They were so easy to manipulate.

Lupa was the tricky part though; she couldn't be fooled. She saw right through everyone's lies and/or weaknesses, no matter how well they could hide it. It was like she could read minds. Lupa never seemed to care if Jason was lying though. He was her star-student.

Bobby sighed. He missed Jason. Bobby used to like watching Jason's expression of total alarm whenever Jason had found the stink-bomb that Bobby put in his backpack. He missed the many times that Jason had almost accidentally nailed other campers in the head with his unpredictable lightning bolts, and could keep Bobby the Constant Troublemaker company with their round of extra chores because of it.

Jason hadn't ever gotten mad at Bobby for his pranks like most people would have, either. He'd just laugh it off and everything would be fine.

Bobby had hopes that Percy would be the same way.

Then, Bobby immediately stopped in his tracks, completely losing his train of thought. What was _that?_

Sitting in the grass a few feet away was a small silver box, about the size of a shoe box. Bobby looked around himself; he was alone in the flowery meadow near one of the many entrances of the camp.

Nobody seemed to own the box so Bobby strode over to the box and picked it up. It was heavy, much heavier than it looked.

Bobby was just wondering who had lost their brick collection when he noticed four thick locks on each side of the box, each one a different color. The red lock was the smallest – about the size of a nickel – and it was square-shaped. The yellow lock was shaped like a triangle and was slightly bigger than the red. The green lock was circular and larger than the yellow. The blue was the largest – the size of a disk – and was shaped like a teardrop.

And this oh-so-secure silver box was just oh-so-ostentatiously sitting in the middle of this oh-so-vacant meadow.

Bobby honestly didn't know what to do in this situation. Truthfully, he'd never before in his life found an abnormally heavy box with four colorful locks on it just lying around, with no one seeming to own it. Seriously, if anyone ever _had_ been in that situation, Bobby would've been very worried about them.

Bobby finally decided just to show it to Lupa. Maybe she would know what to do with it. She might even know how to open it. The thought of actually figuring out this mystery made Bobby insanely curious. _Curiosity killed the cat,_ a little voice in the back of Bobby's mind warned him. _Well, I'm not a cat, and I never understood that saying anyway,_ Bobby retaliated.

Bobby eagerly raced toward the Big House, excited to hear what Lupa was going to say about this new discovery.

"What the heck _is_ it?" Reyna asked no one in particular, merely staring at the box in confusion after examining it in her dainty hands.

Bobby had walked into the Big House to find Reyna and Percy just standing around in there, chatting. When Bobby had realized that Lupa wasn't there, he had turned to leave, but Reyna and Percy just _had_ to know what in the world the strange box in Bobby's hands was.

"It's a time bomb made by aliens that's going to destroy our world!" Bobby said in a spooky tone. Then he gave Reyna a sarcastic smile and asked, "What does it look like, Death Princess?"

Percy smirked. "Or maybe the aliens just wanted to send us a nice cherry pie to show that they come in peace and they just _happened_ to put it in an extremely secure box to make sure nobody stole it."

Bobby and Percy both cracked up and Reyna rolled her eyes.

"Oh, shut up, you two."

Then Lupa strolled into the Big House, looking worried about something, her silver eyes wide and her russet fur standing on end.

"Lupa!" Reyna exclaimed and Lupa flinched, staring at Reyna as if there were antlers growing from her head.

Bobby had never seen Lupa look so worried. She was always strong, fearless, and never _ever_ showed weakness. Now, she looked like she had seen a ghost, which was an actual possibility in the mythological world.

Reyna seemed to notice, too. "What's wrong, Lupa?" she asked. Bobby wasn't surprised that she sounded so concerned; Reyna had always been a suck-up to adults. She was really good at that.

Lupa's tail flicked anxiously back and forth as she paced around the room. _A few hours ago, I received a message from Juno explaining that she had been captured. She informed me that she was sending Jason to find her._

Reyna's jaw dropped. "Jason?" she asked, "Jason is okay?"

Bobby felt like his eyes were going to pop out of his head as Reyna said this. Jason was alive and searching for Juno? The fact that Jason was alright and that Juno was locked up somewhere completely made Bobby's day.

Percy just looked confused. "If Jason is okay and Hera sent him to find her, then what's the problem?"

Lupa's wolf-brain seemed to be working at a million miles an hour. _The problem, pup, is that Jason has lost his memory. Just like you._


	7. Chapter 6: Bobby

**VI**

**Bobby**

Now Bobby could feel _his_ jaw drop.

"_Excuse moi?_" Bobby asked Lupa, stunned.

Lupa merely looked at him, and then she rolled her eyes. Bobby could translate the meaning behind it easily. That was wolf-language for, "You heard me." But Bobby knew it would be something way more sophisticated if she'd actually said it. This was the Lupa that Bobby knew and admired. The Lupa that got annoyed at pretty much everything he did.

Well, good. Bobby had been worried for a second there.

So Jason lost his memory, just when Percy _happened_ to lose his, too. _Coincidence?_ Bobby wondered, _I think not._

Then Bobby felt disappointed. Jason didn't remember anything. He didn't remember Bobby or Reyna or even Lupa. Would he ever get his memory back? Or would his friends have to recount every moment of his life to him?

That is, if they ever found him.

Bobby frowned; something he almost never did. Ever since Jason had gone missing, he'd frowned a lot, Bobby realized.

Percy looked like he was going to be sick. His fingers rubbed his forehead slowly. He was shivering slightly. What was up with him?

Bobby turned to him and asked, "What's up, Percy?"

Reyna and Lupa seemed curious about this, too. Percy didn't even _know_ Jason. So why was he looking so sick about the news when everyone else who _did_ know Jason wasn't?

"I don't know," Percy answered, fingers still massaging his forehead, "I just have a headache. I've been having a lot of those lately, actually."

Oh. He was having a headache. That was completely normal. So why were Bobby, Reyna, and Lupa so intrigued by it?

Lupa seemed to ponder this. _You most likely just have enough going on at the moment. Your mind is stressed from the loss of memory and all of the new information and, in turn, you are getting headaches. You may–_ Lupa stopped immediately when she noticed the silver box that was now in Reyna's hands. _What is_ that? She asked beseechingly.

Bobby had almost forgotten about the whole reason he had come here in the first place. _Wow,_ Bobby thought, _that's pretty sad_. But Bobby figured that with all the news about Jason, he'd had a perfectly good reason to forget.

"I, um, found that in the meadow. I don't know who it belonged to; I just noticed it and, um, picked it up." Bobby muttered nervously, feeling Lupa's accusing gaze.

Bobby relaxed when Lupa finally glanced back at the box, away from him. _Well, this surely is a unique situa–_ Lupa immediately stopped when a thick mist swam quickly into the Big House, enveloping them all in white. Eventually, Bobby couldn't see anything a foot in front of him.

"What the –" Bobby began, but then he heard a voice.

It wasn't just any voice. It was a confident, powerful voice which was coming from somewhere within the spooky mist.

_Percy Jackson,_ the female voice spoke in an emotionless tone, and Bobby couldn't tell where exactly it came from. Bobby felt Percy flinch beside him when his name had been spoken. _Your journey has just begun, for there is a new quest that awaits you._ There was a slight echo to the voice, like there were two people talking at once.

Then everything was so quiet, they could've heard a pin drop from across the room. Bobby knew that everyone in the room was holding their breath, he could feel it.

Then the voice spoke again. This time it sounded much louder, considering the previous heart-stopping silence.

_The box that is locked requires four unique keys,_

_It beholds a weapon to defeat all enemies._

_There is one in a castle, one in the sea,_

_The third in a book, and the last in a memory._

_The hidden sword knows the way to go,_

_The gift of the bird may bring them safely home._

_But beware the fire, the storm, and the earth,_

_For if they unite, gods will face a foe's rebirth._

After the prophecy was recited Lupa scowled into the mist, searching for signs of life. Bobby wasn't sure what was going on and, by the looks on the others' faces, neither did they.

Then the mist vanished, the regular Big House interior coming into view. Nothing seemed to have changed other than the fact that now they were all extremely creeped out.

And that now Percy was destined to go on a life-threatening mission to find the keys to a chest that Bobby had found.

_Oh joy,_ Bobby thought to himself, _another quest to get kicked out of because I'm too young. _He sighed,_ well, at least I'll see it coming this time. _

Bobby had hoped that Jason would've asked him to join on his first quest, but Jason had chosen three other demigods because they were older and stronger. Bobby once again found himself hoping that Percy would ask him to join, but deep down he knew that it wasn't likely going to happen. Bobby tried to save himself the disappointment.

Lupa growled, bringing Bobby back to the present. _We will deal with this later, for now we have other matters to attend to. I will store the chest in a vault until it is time to worry about it. First, I need Bobby to set up dinner. Reyna, come with Percy and me. _She turned to Percy. _Percy, you will need your camp uniform. After we are finished with that, we will take you to the temple to get your tattoo. Once each of these matters is settled, we will decide who will embark on our new quest._


End file.
